2004 Indoneeisia, Sri lanka and thialand tsunami information.
The country of Sri Lanka located 31 miles off the south-eastern coast of India, was hit by a tsunami triggered by a 9.0 magnitude earthquake off the coast of Sumatra on December 26, 2004. The tsunami was one of the worst disasters ever recorded in Sri Lankan history. The tsunami left tens of thousands dead, many more homeless, and caused widespread chaos throughout the island. In addition to the human impacts, the tsunami had widespread effects on Sri Lanka's environment and ecosystems. It is still too early to express the long-term effects caused by the tsunami, but short-term effects are clearly evident.
Human Impacts
Civilian casualties in Sri Lanka were second only to those in Indonesia. Reports vary on the number of deaths since many people are still missing and the country lacks adequate communications. As of March 1, 2005, estimates state that 36,603 people perished in the months following the tsunami. Another 800,000 people living on the coasts of Sri Lanka have been directly affected. The eastern shores of Sri Lanka faced the hardest impact since they were facing the epicenter of the earthquake. The southwestern shores were hit later, but the death toll was just as severe. The southwestern shores are a hotspot for tourists as well as the fishing economy. Tourism and fishing industries created high population densities along the coast.
The coastal lifestyle of people in Sri Lanka contributed to the high death tolls. The following images illustrate the correlation between population, affected areas, and mortality rates. In addition to the high number of fatalities, approximately 90,000 buildings were destroyed. Houses were easily destroyed since they were built mostly from wood. This wooden debris that was left behind is now raising issues of its own.
Human Impacts
Civilian casualties in Sri Lanka were second only to those in Indonesia. Reports vary on the number of deaths since many people are still missing and the country lacks adequate communications. As of March 1, 2005, estimates state that 36,603 people perished in the months following the tsunami. Another 800,000 people living on the coasts of Sri Lanka have been directly affected. The eastern shores of Sri Lanka faced the hardest impact since they were facing the epicenter of the earthquake. The southwestern shores were hit later, but the death toll was just as severe. The southwestern shores are a hotspot for tourists as well as the fishing economy. Tourism and fishing industries created high population densities along the coast.
The coastal lifestyle of people in Sri Lanka contributed to the high death tolls. The following images illustrate the correlation between population, affected areas, and mortality rates. In addition to the high number of fatalities, approximately 90,000 buildings were destroyed. Houses were easily destroyed since they were built mostly from wood. This wooden debris that was left behind is now raising issues of its own.
- The December 26, 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami was caused by an earthquake that is thought to have had the energy of 23,000 Hiroshima-type atomic bombs.
- The epicenter of the 9.0 magnitude quake was under the Indian Ocean near the west coast of the Indonesian island of Sumatra.
- The violent movement of sections of the Earth’s crusts known as tectonic plates displaced an enormous amount of water, sending powerful shock waves in every direction.
- The tectonic plates in this area had been pushing against each other, building pressure for thousands of years – they continue to do so and will likely cause underwater earthquakes and tsunamis in the future.
- The shifting of the earth’s plates in the Indian Ocean on Dec. 26, 2004 caused a rupture more than 600 miles long, displacing the seafloor above the rupture by perhaps 10 yards horizontally and several yards vertically. As a result, trillions of tons of rock were moved along hundreds of miles and caused the planet to shudder with the largest magnitude earthquake in 40 years.